CELEBRATION, Fla. — "It's always good to have new people on top."
That's what Lizzie Hoeschler declared soon after winning the gold in the Women's Log Roll at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge on Friday night. Hoeschler's victory marked the first time the gold medal went to an athlete not named Tina Bosworth or Tina Salzman. (That's Bosworth, too, under her maiden name.)
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| Lizzie Hoeschler outlasts Jenny Atkinson to take the gold in Log Rolling. |
It was a productive day for the Hoeschler family, as Katie went on to upset Bosworth in the bronze-medal round.
"I turned to my mom (seven-time world log roll champion Judy Hoeschler) and said, 'I never thought it would turn out this way,'" Katie said after the event. "Third place is great. We're all getting really good - no more of this domination stuff."
Lizzie Hoeschler won $10,000 for her championship roll, Atkinson earned $3,500 and Katie Hoeschler garnered $2,000. Bosworth took home $1,500 for finishing fourth.
Lizzie and Katie Hoeschler's youngest sister, Abby Hoeschler, also a professional log roller, did not advance to the semifinals.
In the first semifinal, fourth-seeded Atkinson gave up the first of three falls to Bosworth, but recovered from a near soaking in the second fall to force Bosworth off the log. With newfound confidence, Atkinson turned on the speed in the third fall, getting Bosworth to lose her footing and slip off the log.
Bosworth said she thought the semifinal round was a best-of-five, and was surprised to learn that her five-year gold-medal streak had ended.
The second semifinal matched up the Hoeschler sisters, who dueled each other to a smaller, thinner log before Lizzie increased her speed and made Katie lose her balance for the first fall. Lizzie did the same to start the second roll with the same result — Katie couldn't keep up, and Lizzie held on for the win.
Katie Hoeschler and Bosworth went the distance in the bronze medal match, with Bosworth winning the first fall and Hoeschler taking the next two. Bosworth avoided elimination and took the fourth fall, but Hoeschler was able to hold on for about a millisecond longer in the fifth roll as both women fell into the water around the same time.
With Katie's bronze medal assured, she and Abby cheered on Lizzie as she faced Atkinson in the gold-medal round. Hoeschler captured the first two falls, but Atkinson took the second two in hotly contested rolls. Both women made spectacular recoveries after appearing to be headed into the water.
Hoeschler finally decided she'd had enough and got Atkinson off balance to win the fifth and deciding fall.
"When you're up two falls, you tend to get a little impatient," Hoeschler said about losing the third and fourth fall. "I just had to tell myself that I wasn't going to go down before she did."
Atkinson, who won her third silver medal in Log Rolling at the Games, called herself the "comeback girl" after winning two matches in which she surrendered the first fall - her first-round match and her match against Bosworth. She almost did the same against Hoeschler.
"All three times, I got myself in a do-or-die situation," Atkinson said. "With Lizzie, it could have gone either way. I'm thrilled for her and happy for me. It's a great day."
Final standings
1. Lizzie Hoeschler, La Crosse, Wis.
2. Jenny Atkinson, Stillwater, Minn.
3. Katie Hoeschler, La Crosse, Wis.
4. Tina Bosworth, Lake Geneva, Wis.
5. Maggie Bulk, Hermosa Beach, Calif.
5. Abby Hoeschler, La Crosse, Wis.
5. Olivia Judd, Madison, Wis.
5. Shana Martin, Madison, Wis.
The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 13-17, 2005. Click here for the broadcast schedule.
